A review of Ian Rankin's detective novel examines how the thriller weaves together a politician's murder, a mysterious death, and decades-old financial schemes tied to Scottish political developments.

Ian Rankin's novel 'Set in Darkness' presents a complex murder investigation set against the backdrop of Scotland's political transformation. The story begins with the discovery of a skeleton within a hospital undergoing renovation to accommodate Scotland's newly established Parliament. When a recently nominated parliamentary candidate is murdered, Detective John Rebus is assigned to the case alongside Inspector Derek Lindsay, whose professional judgment becomes compromised when he inappropriately pursues Rebus's colleague Siobhan Clarke.

While investigating the politician's death, Clarke encounters an unrelated case involving a man who throws himself from a bridge. Despite his appearance as a vagrant, the man possesses a bank account containing over 400,000 pounds under the name C Mackie. His identification becomes central to unraveling the larger conspiracy, as Rebus begins to suspect connections between the various cases. The investigation reveals that the Grieve family, whose member was the murdered candidate, harbors secrets spanning two decades involving failed land speculation and criminal violence.

The narrative unfolds to show that Alasdair Grieve and his business partner Freddy Hastings had attempted to profit from anticipated property value increases following an earlier Scottish referendum. When their scheme collapsed, violence ensued, forcing both men into hiding. Hastings assumed the identity of a man killed during the intimidation campaign, living as an anonymous street person for twenty years before taking his own life. Rebus ultimately deduces that the politician was killed to prevent a repeat of the failed speculation scheme, though direct evidence remains elusive.

The investigation concludes ambiguously when crime boss Ger Cafferty, whom Rebus had previously imprisoned, manipulates events by luring the detective into a confrontation with the actual perpetrator. Though Rebus survives this encounter, the case ends without clear resolution, leaving questions about accountability and justice unanswered despite the detective's investigative acumen.